zutara: an anthology
by Fractal-Velocity
Summary: a collection of zutara drabbles daily. rated T for future angst and other stuff *wink wink nudge nudge* cover image belongs to viria
1. Little Insecurities

Disclaimer: I haven't written any zutara before but I've read tons... eheh.

yes it's me i've risen from the grave and this time i shall attempt drabbles. i attempted xmen once and that fic is still up if anyone's interested but for now... have some amateur drabbles of my favorite ship. my sister ( **Oblivionxx** ) and i have decided to do a daily drabble thing. we choose one word as a prompt and write for a ship- zutara for me and dramione for her. so go check her's out! it should be up.

on to the storyyy

* * *

23-16 prompt 01: **Ug** **ly**

The cool water was as still as a sheet of glass, reflecting the sky above in its blueness. A quiet breeze eased its way through the clearing, making the small pool ripple as it passed.

Zuko waited for the water to settle. He fiddled with the small blade in his hands; fingers restlessly running across the sharp metal.

It glinted in the sun and the light pierced at his left eye.

His bad one.

Grimacing he ran a weary hand through his shaggy hair. It looked like he hadn't bathed in days. No matter how hard he'd tried to convince his new 'team' that he had in fact showered, the long dark bangs found a way to constantly retain an aura of filthiness. Maybe it was the length; maybe it was the heat- nothing stopped Toph from calling him Slime-man now. Sokka had picked it up from there and kept asking whether he could _teach him how to look so sleazy_. Zuko had told him he didn't need to try.

But the hair had become a real issue now that it was getting past his eyes, and Sokka had begun suggesting he use Toph's headband or create _hair loopies_ like his sister. He couldn't even use the _banished at sea for years_ excuse anymore- and frankly that had never worked because he had had a great ponytail back then, in his not-so-humble- opinion. Aang seemed to agree on that fact, but he didn't put it past the kid to agree to eating meat just to stay on someone's good side. The kid even complimented Katara's horrible stews!

The thought made him want to retch almost as much as the feeling of his hair tickling his shoulders did. He sighed in resignation and fiddled with the knife. The blade felt sharp. Sokka had given it to him a few days back for the New Year. He had said he'd keep it close in case he needed to stab the water tribesman one day. Katara had not taken that well. He winced a little at the memory and the side of his face stung a little as if it remembered.

With slight resentment towards Uncle Iroh and his apparent lack of disapproval for his overflowing beard, Zuko raised the blade to the nape of his neck. _Snick_. Simple.

Actually it wasn't- he realized soon that he had missed an entire chunk from the left side and had to cut that separately and then he found that it wasn't even, and one half of his hair ended higher up his neck than the rest. _Great_. He hated menial work. He hated Sokka for giving him the knife. He hated the water girl's food. And spirits be damned, he hated himself for feeling so goddamn vulnerable with half his mop of hair gone.

He felt the air at his neck and frowned. The bangs covering his eyes had to go as well- but that was what bothered him. They covered his eyes. Mostly. And if that wasn't a shelter, he didn't know what was. These people had seen him at his worst, at his most fearsome, at his strongest and at his most pathetic states. He'd fought them and now he fought with them; he had hunted them and now he wanted them safe. He had cried, bled, nearly died with them. He'd lost his fire and found it with them. There was nothing about him they didn't know. And he hated it.

He had no secrets. He was open. And they could see all the darkness in him and they were in constant doubt and fear because of it. He could tell. He repulsed them. And now, without his little fringe, he wouldn't even be able to pretend he didn't see their wary stares and sidelong glances. The small indications they'd make with their eyes when they wanted to pass on the responsibility to confront him. The way they'd never look him in the eyes. He felt as if he couldn't blame them entirely however. If he didn't look like such a mangled fire-breathing monster then maybe things would be better.

It was all twisted up in his head and he didn't have the energy to untangle it at that moment. Instead, he nodded resolutely and brought the shiny blade to level with his eyes. The more he saw of his face in his reflection in the pool, the more hideous he felt.

He finally made it back to where the gang were all lounging in the forest- he hadn't expected much of a dramatic reaction, and he didn't get one. Aang beamed appreciatively, Sokka snorted disappointedly when he noticed, and Toph never really did notice. Momo accepted his uneven semi-buzz cut and greeted it by resting atop his head. At least until Katara marched up from the river and dropped all the fruit she'd collected on to the floor. The lemur-monkey attacked them on sight.

The water peasant glared at his face for a full minute, until he realized she was in fact _staring_. The fact didn't alleviate the unease.

"What's wrong, Sugar Queen?" Toph asked. "I can hear your heart it's like you've seen-,"

"I didn't recognize him that's all!" she intervened. "I thought he was a threat."

Zuko grimaced. "It's not _that_ bad."

"At least you can see?" Sokka offered helpfully.

"What's going on?" Toph demanded.

"I think it's great!" Aang said solemnly.

"Me too."

It was Zuko's turn to stare at the waterbender.

"Practical! I mean it's practical!" she yelped. "We can see your eyes now- I mean, you can see your eyes- I mean… you can see! Yes. That's great! Imagine how useless you would've been… blind… in battle... ha ha. That's a laugh."

An awkward beat of silence drifted in as each pair of eyes flittered over to glance at the grinning earth bender. Sokka shot his sister a well-deserved glare that seemed to scream, _La, Katara just be a little more insensitive why don't you_ while Aang wrung his hands as if he were waiting for Toph to suddenly rise up in anger with a string of profanities. An abrupt burst of laughter broke the silence, causing everyone to quickly divert their eyes.

"Yeah Hotman, you look… _practical_ ," Toph agreed slyly, shooting Katara a sideways glance.

And while Katara huffed and Aang hurried to help her, Zuko felt a little less restricted in his own skin. Everything was back to normal, and he wasn't sure if it was the use of his old nickname or the waterbender's strange babble- but he felt a little more comfortable with his face.

* * *

a/n: is this too long to be a drabble? *hides*

read review fave follow donate cookies or pet a unicorn, the world is your oyster. eat it.


	2. Attraction is a Noose

**Disclaimer:** Drabbles aren't my forte- I'm more of a word-vomit kinda gal.

If you know what I mean.

So here's the second prompt and accompanying drabble... read on and be merry. Also let me warn you that the drabbles don't have a linear timeline so they're all from different points of time. Also there isn't a plot except for the general canon: make team, kill Ozai. The end. Obviously minus the kataang.

Also, many fluffy cat hugs to my first reviewers. Ya'll are too nice :3 Hope no one's allergic to fur.

* * *

24-01 prompt 02 : **Die**

He annoyed her, he infuriated her and he seemed to have no control whatsoever when it came to harassing her. But Sokka was her brother and that was expected. She knew he was only joking and mostly he only tried to lighten the mood- and that gave her slight pause from wanting to snap his neck.  
Who she didn't have an ounce of restraint when it came to killing was Zuko. The Fire Prince strutted about all day, not saying a word, being all gloomy and sullen. And when he did speak he said stupid things like _give me fifty fire squats avatar_!

Admittedly that wasn't quite stupid... but he sounded all raspy and... Katara sighed. A small part of her recognized she was fast losing her reasons for hating him, and the more he demanded physical exercise from Aang the more she realized he was committing to the cause.

 _Their_ cause.

But that didn't stop him from being a downright turd about anything else, her irrational side screamed, waving water whips like it was waging into a war. And wage war they did. He would mumble something about her food or her hair or her water or the sky and she'd snap back and they'd launch into a warm up verbal spar that would almost always morph into a full-scale battle. And he made sure to never make the first move. It was always her. He'd prod her and worm his way under her skin and when she exploded at him he'd smirk wryly like he'd been expecting this and step aside to dodge her water whips and only then bring up his own fire. That made everything worse.

She clenched her jaw as she pondered his infuriating actions. Sometimes she wanted to smash his face into a pulp and… and cook a stew… and feed it to him! Sometimes she wanted to grind his bones and boil it… and- _would that make a tea?_

She refused to acknowledge that her logic had run out a long time ago.

She sighed quietly and shot a glare across the temple to where the rooms were. Everybody else was asleep and breakfast was nearly ready. She knew he wasn't asleep though. She'd heard enough about his _rising with the sun_ nonsense.

Pompous bastard.

She winced at the profanity and tried to calm her grating nerves. Her whole body thrummed whenever he'd say something to her- just ready for a fight. His voice alone made her want to pummel him into the ground and tell him that she hated his high-headed principles about honour and he could take his ugly topknot and bury it in his ass with the stick he had shoved up there. She really just wanted to shove him into a grave.

It went like this every day, Katara growling to herself in perpetual annoyance and Zuko tempting her into a fight every so often. While he was away she'd grouse over their rocky relationship and wish him dead.

But every morning, when he'd come back down from his _sun salutations_ or whatever, as punctual as the light rising in the east, she would feel a little calmer. He'd look more pleasant, true… but it was more the look in his eyes that made her gulp and die a little inside. And maybe his shirtless state but she'd never admit it to herself. But then he'd roughly call for the avatar and the spell would break and she'd grind her teeth at him and the cycle would continue.

But every day, at dawn, prince Zuko would make her pulse race for reasons she refused to explore. And that itself made her wish the metaphorical grave from earlier would be hers.

* * *

a/n: Read and review and have a slice of cake, cause I made the drabble shorter! Hurrah, I'd say.

I also recommend you read my sister's half of the drabble challenge thing while you have your celebratory cake. **dramione: a compendium** she calls it and **Oblivionxx** is what she calls herself. Clearly its not the same ship but we do use the same prompts so its interesting to see how she interprets these words and applies it to the only other ship that loves to hate.

See you tomorrow :3


	3. Punching Bags

**Disclaimer:** I don't know what 'daily' means. hence the tardiness.

Excuse moi.

* * *

26-01 prompt 03: **Violence**

 _Smack!_

"OW!"

The cry was short, indignant and gave nothing away about what caused such a response, yet the entire air temple could easily single out who'd caused the pain.

"Kata _raa_!" Sokka whined exaggeratedly, clutching his forearm.

The waterbender fumed through her nostrils and began scathingly reminding her brother exactly _why_ he'd deserved a delicate reprimanding such as the fine punch she'd landed on his arm.

Zuko was sure she'd somehow absorbed all of the earthbending girl's aggressiveness and none of her savvy attitude. The water peasant seemed incapable of witty retort.

" _Excuuse_ me?!"

The ear splitting shriek triggered tiny gongs in the back of Zuko's head and belatedly he realised he must have been talking aloud.

"You think I can't be funny?!" Katara cried, storming towards the firebender.

"Witty," Zuko corrected, before hastily adding, "And I'm sure you can."

"Well don't try to sound too convincing!" Katara seethed, seethed, clenching her fists at her sides.

He paused at her retort, raising a brow in a graceful arch.

"I wasn't-,"

"What? You weren't expecting sarcasm were you?"

"I wasn't to be honest, that was impressive," the fire Prince bit out carefully, arms tentatively raised to protect himself if required.

"Didn't think the peasant was capable of intelligent banter did you? _Oh look at her, she probably eats raw fish all day and can't even hunt it herself! I bet she can't even tell a fish apart from a polar bear dog- she's probably never left her savage igloo! Look at her screaming at everyone, isn't she just ridiculous its almost as if she thinks her opinion MEANS SOMETHING!_ " Katara ranted furiously in a painful falsetto before taking in a ragged breath and processing his words from earlier.

She froze in place; panic in her eyes.

Zuko also seemed to have had time to register what he had said.

He looked so fine a shade of scarlet, the banners in his father's palace would've been proud.

"You think..," Katara began slowly, looking up at his face with searching eyes. "That you can just... _compliment_ someone like that?!"

And before the fire bender knew it her fist had pummeled into the muscle of his upper arm, and a water whip had slapped his face so hard his reddened skin was temporarily shocked back into being pale before the flush returned with full force.

He stared at her, mouth agape while she flicked her hair over her shoulder and said with a tremulous voice- "That's what I thought"- before gathering herself and all but fleeing the area.

The rest of the gang slowly shook themselves out of their stupors and Aang hurried to clear breakfast in the waterbender's absence. Sokka mumbled something about his sister's _moon madness time_ , effectively leaving a grinning earthbender with the stunned fire Prince.

Toph smirked, her feet pressed firmly against the stone floor of the temple as she stared into the distance a few feet away from where Zuko sat.

"If that's how you plan on flirting, then you're doing great Sparky," she said nonchalantly.

Toph had never heard anyone react so violently to the truth.

* * *

a/n: so i'm struggling to keep up with these drabbles but there's a few hours left for today so i'll churn out another! hurrah for double updates.

hopefully.

eheh.

leave a review my lovelies- it makes me happy:3 i thrive on social acceptance.

#lowstandards


	4. Got a Secret

**Disclaimer:** I promised a second drabble yesterday and i failed you all.

i guess this is a running theme. Failure.

Read on, you'll see eheh..

* * *

27-01 prompt 04: **Secrets**

It happened on an extraordinarily exhausting night watch.

The moon had sunk behind a thin veil of clouds and the stars that dotted the sky barely shed any light upon the cold and silent temple that precariously hung from the underside of a cliff.

It was Katara's turn to stake out through the night and she was doing a fine job of it- she had only managed to fall asleep four times.

Each time she jerked herself awake and promised never to slack on her duties. Until sleep dragged her under. _Again_.

Around the sixth time she shuddered back to the land of the conscious, the waterbender realised something had to be done.

Sparky Sparky Boom Man could return for all they knew and she would be the reason they'd all be toast in their beds. Katara frowned slightly. She was sure they'd made a shorter name for the crazed telepathic firebender. She would have to ask Sokka the next morning. Sparky Sparky Boom Man was a mouthful. And infinitely harder to pronounce when one was on the verge of falling asleep on duty for the umpteenth time-

 _Drat_.

The waterbender hadn't even realised her eyes had closed for a moment there. She moved slightly to sit up straighter and felt something slide around her frame. If she'd been in a less groggy state of mind she'd have attacked it on the spot, but her sleepy head slowed her down for a few embarrassingly long seconds.

A blanket.

It was a blanket. Neatly wrapped around her shoulders. She had fallen asleep. So much so she hadn't realised that she had been bodily moved to the center of the temple hall where the fire they normal lit for dinner was crackling warmly. Her weary muscles felt... rested, admittedly and the sores from training through the day had lessened in their sting. The bundle of cloth placed on the ground for her head to rest upon smelled distinctly of cinnamon and although Katara couldn't understand how such a spice had found it's way into the Air Temple, she couldn't help but feel intoxicated.

This was the most rested she'd felt in all the time she'd been on this crazy journey.

A small smile had lifted the corner of her lips in a graceful curve until it froze in place when the fog in her mind made a sudden exit.

The bundle of cloth... the blanket... the smell and… the _fire_ -

Katara leapt to her feet and raced to the mouth of the temple where a large opening faced the clear open skies before them. A tall slender figure was silhouetted in the moonlight, seated stiffly where she had been when night had begun to fall.

She staggered to a halt upon seeing her replacement and hung her head in shame. She had hoped it to be otherwise, but he had taken her post as watch.

She had nothing to say for herself at that moment, and wisely remained silent. He could torment her all he wanted about her _slacking on the protection of the Avatar_ and he could preach his sob stories about _honour_ and _exile_ and she'd have to take it because she had very nearly failed them all...

Katara was so busy berating herself that she almost missed the slight movement.

Zuko tilted his head gently to the side, as if he had expected her arrival but was confused by her silence. She wouldn't blame him. She was rarely one for keeping her opinions to herself. He didn't turn around to face her and for once she was glad for his strange behavior.

She readied herself for his raspy confrontational tone, but it never came. He simply sat there stoically at the opening of the temple till sunrise; body tensed and at the ready, posture ramrod straight and unmoving- unyielding even as she gave up and headed back to get some rest.

He may not have known it at the time and he may never know, but that day Katara begrudgingly allowed herself to give up her mindless hatred for the fire Prince. That day, she began to respect him and his honour. She would never admit it to anyone and would rather die (or so she thought) before she told him- but that night, the waterbender decided that maybe Zuko wasn't too bad after all.

* * *

a/n: sorry for missing a day sigh, everything's getting shuffled around. I feel so bad i've decided to actually make a part two for this prompt... something interesting as an apology. of sorts. so stay tuned for that. i suggest you follow the story :3 keep tabs with my irregular updates.

this is so not a shameless bribe.

review also please i love hearing from you :3

i'm so shameless.

kbye.


	5. Can You Keep It

**Disclaimer:** You can't kill me now, I've stuck to my promise.

muahahaa

Also big hugs to **Quirkista** and **drealyn22** for the cute reviews. Even lame authors like me need love :3

* * *

27-01 prompt: **Secrets II**

The entirety of the Southern Water Tribe was hustling so hard one would have thought the spirit of winter had unleashed a string of blizzard curses upon them and they only had a day to prepare.

It was only his _first visit_ as Fire Lord, Zuko mused gloomily, watching people scurry past his entourage as they made their way to the Chief's igloo. The once small fishing village had grown and expanded into a mini metropolis of ice structures; still inferior to its sister tribe, but magnificent in its own way nonetheless. Katara's ice bending had done the village a great benefit. He could almost imagine her soft figure twirling around as she brought sharp spires of ice from the ground and directed them so they spiraled into the sky. The water peasant was nothing but a massive advantage and Zuko constantly found himself pondering the practicality of abducting her for the purposes of the Fire Nation. That brought a small smirk to his lips. Of course by 'Fire Nation', he meant himself and his own happiness, but he had never been one to openly admit emotion. Of course today was an exception- he had matters to take care of that far outweighed any political discussion and yet didn't require such pomp in its reception. Or maybe it did- Zuko was the worst persons to pass judgment on such matters. He only had one goal in mind. And he was soon to be presented with the opportunity to complete it.

Chief Hakoda was burly in his old age and still bore scars from the war against Ozai. The brown skinned man stood by the doorway flanked by some members of his Council, and in honesty his bare open stare made the firebender incredibly nervous. Maybe it was also partly due to the young Fire Lord's secret intentions. He greeted Zuko warmly however (as warm as one could be in the frozen tundra) and was about to invite the Fire Lord inside to begin his welcoming celebration, when a wild blue thing appeared out of nowhere and knocked the master firebender over.

He vaguely registered the sound of his men's armor clanking as they attempted to defend their Emperor from the incoming attack, but Katara was already pummeling him into the hard packed ground.

Zuko winced. Snow had always looked so deceptively soft.

"How _DARE_ you return without telling me!" she shrieked.

Some things never changed.

"You just disappeared- what is _wrong_ with you, are you not aware of basic human functions? Do you not know how... especial-friendship _works_?! Not like this, let me tell you that much- _FIRE LORD_!"

Zuko would've chuckled in long stifled endearment at the terminology she'd chosen to describe their relationship, if she hadn't been sitting on his chest. He assumed his soldiers must have been forcibly restrained by Chief Hakoda, and the rest of the water tribe Council must have been positively furious. He couldn't have cared less.

"So you just appear now? Out of the blue? After an _year_ of absolute **silence**?!"

Ah there it was. The real reason.

"You can board your ugly ship and leave this instance, we want nothing to do with you," she stated firmly.

"Now, now!" an elder interrupted in horror, causing several others to intervene regarding the waterbender's harsh words.

Zuko paid them no mind. He would've pretended to be mightily offended for the sake of watching them squirm under his golden stare, but he had a personal check box to tick.  
Smirking, he gently removed the fuming waterbender from his person, rose to his feet as gracefully as he could in snow-leaden robes and approached the stunned Chief.

"Are you even _listening_ -," Katara began to say, gesturing wildly at him with both hands.

"Well," he replied suddenly, whirling on her without warning. "I'm sorry I took some time to gather my crumbling nation and put a few things in order before I ventured out here to ask my girlfriend's father if I could officially court her. Things got a little hectic you know- though I suppose you _could_ blame me."

And with that brilliant outburst, he headed back towards the now wary looking Chieftan, leaving a rather breathless waterbender in his wake.

He would never admit it to a living soul, but Zuko absolutely loved stunning Katara speechless.

Her silence was almost not worth the death glares Sokka was shooting at him from inside the igloo though. And now, judging by the look in Chief Hakoda's eyes, his guilty pleasure was going to get him killed.

However, he turned ever so slightly to watch her olive skin turn a violent shade of red in that way he so dearly loved and with a small smile in her direction, he raised a hand to adjust the bright flame headpiece in his now less-than-stately topknot, before confronting Hakoda. He thought about her cerulean eyes, glaring indignantly even in her silence and wished it would all be over soon so he could steal her away to someplace warmer. The snow down his robes weren't comfortable in the least.

* * *

a/n: so... this is much non linear timeline... hope you all liked it.

leave reviews, fave and follow and receive a completely fictional hug in the mail. And maybe a baby hippogriff.

I'm feeling generous :3


	6. I O U

**Disclaimer** **: I'd balme my tardiness with this update on alien abduction but that is a lie you will all see through. Aliens wouldn't want dumb ol' me.**

honestly though, sorry for how late this is. i hit a speed-bump called reality. she's a mean one.

* * *

16-02 prompt: **Wants I**

Alternatively: **five times Zuko felt he was entitled to something and Katara had to flay him with logic.**

The first time the Gaang was made aware of Zuko's tendency to make every issue a personal dilemma, was when he lost his fire. True enough it had been embarrassing for such an elegant and powerful bender to lose his ending abilities- coupled with the fact that it had only been his fire that had fueled his terrifying image, the inherent lack of said abilities put him in a rather difficult position. Toph needled him endlessly about where his honour might be now and Sokka kept mockingly embracing him as a member of the no-creepy-magic squad that the tribesman was president of. Aang looked forlorn and had the decency to let him be- if only out of pity, or the lack of use from the Prince for the upcoming battle against the Firelord. If Katara was displeased with the current state he was in, she did not show it.

Zuko felt it was personal enough an issue to whine about- and so he did. He groused perpetually and wallowed in self-pity occasionally. It wasn't his initial displeasure that threw them for a loop, however. It was the crazy plan he concocted and related to them while they huddled around the sparse bonfire they'd created with what had been left of the spark stones. He could tell they were regretting the loss of his fire as he watched them shiver slightly, and decided then that it was a better time than ever to spring the idea on them.

The reactions had _not been good_.

After listening to Katara protectively argue against Aang joining him on his expedition to the lost temples of the _Sun Warriors_ (whoever they were) to 'find his fire', Zuko exploded in a fury.

"For Roku's sake, you OWE ME! You all owe me! I would never have lost my fire if I hadn't joined your lousy group. You're all a bunch of bumbling idiot _peasants_! Look how tame you all are- how _domesticated_ ,' he spat the word with distaste. "I was a Prince- I still am. I'm the _Crown_ Prince- and that throne is rightfully _mine!_ And I can't have it without my fire! How will I lead my country? How will I regain my **honour**?!"

At the incredulous look from the waterbender he added weakly; "Also I have to train the Avatar…?"

Katara's eyes screwed into a vicious squint. "Listen, Hotpants," she said in a deceptively calm voice, spitting Toph's casual nickname for him with obvious mockery. "We owe you nothing. Absolutely nothing. You have no right to demand anything of us and we have no part in this loss of yours. We _endured_ your relentless savagery for the past year, we suffered your slip up down in the catacombs and we even forgave you and took you in when your family refused you and you bawled your way back to us."

She glared at him- cool flint blue eyes clashing with his temperamental gold ones. Stirring an urge deep within him- an urge to flee. To cower. He hated it.

"You have absolutely no right to ask this of Aang," she continued, her voice wavering slightly, and only then did he notice she wore a look of fear. He wasn't sure whether it was for Aang or of him. He didn't care. "And even in asking, you prattle on about your trivial honour? About your home country? If Aang doesn't end the Firelord's destructive reign there will be no Fire Nation for you to lead, pretty boy. If we don't keep Aang safe till the night of the comet, no amount of petty honour will save the land. Speaking of, it's about time you realized no one can give you this honour you search for, your _princeliness_. An honourable man is one who does honourable deeds without having to consciously search for them. It comes naturally- like breathing, like second nature. Like bending. If you do it right, it should come to you like the rain to the scorched earth. Maybe that's why you lost your stupid fire."

Zuko reigned in a scathing remark and felt his heart hammer in his throat and heard his blood roar in his ears. He couldn't take anymore of her needling voice, mouthing off to him, sounding so superior.

"Maybe you've been doing it wrong all along."

Spirit's be damned.

"If you've lost your bending, it's all _your_ fault, Zuko," she said matter-of-factly. "You call us domestic? Well maybe we don't need bloodthirst and anger to drive us all. I waterbend because I love it. It's a part of me- not a tool. Not something to use against people- to quell them and subdue them. And not something that I lash out with when I'm angry."

"I beg to differ on that last bit," Zuko heard himself say.

He wished he hadn't spoken. She narrowed her eyes further and scowled in the way only a shrew could.

"I would've expected you of all people to understand," she admitted with a frown. "But I suppose that's asking too much."

She gestured to the others to clear out the dinner while the former firebender gaped at her, aghast. That damned water _peasant_.

"Point is, _Prince Zuko_ ," she said finally, after a long bout of silence, and Zuko could hear the hostility in her tone. "We're all a bunch of bumbling idiot peasants, aren't we? We can't possibly do anything right, why expect us to be able to retrieve your bending?"

Zuko paused, at a loss for words, and after a long moment of drawn out silence, he settled for glaring daggers at her face.

She smirked in sweet victory at his furious eyes and twirled around on her heel. "Next time try and win over the people whom you think "owe" you. Tip: don't insult them."

"Spare me your advice," he seethed; hurt but hiding it well.

"Hey, you're the one who wanted to be king someday."

What he wanted to do was strangle her on the spot, but her toothy grin of farewell haunted him for way more nights than it should have, even when his anger was long gone.

* * *

a/n : parts **two** and on till **five** will be uploaded sporadically throughout the week. apologies for delays in advance. also, please leave reviews with your criticism or thoughts :3 they really help! also you can even suggest some prompts you'd like to see. you could pm if you want even. i don't bite:3

night night.


	7. For the People

**Disclaimer: I already apologized for delays in updating eheh.**

Also maybe i should put actual disclaimers about this all belonging to Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko and Nickelodeon. but you guys aren't stupid. :3

on a more serious note though, it's a bit upsetting seeing the lack of any form of review. do you not like anything i've written? is it so badly written that you can't even hate it? I could stop wasting time on this if no one likes it ._. but ya'll won't even tell me that would you hah... anyay

on to the story...

* * *

17-02 prompt: Wants II

Zuko rarely ever threw a tantrum but when he did, it was spectacularly eventful. He _fumed_ and _groused_ and _whined_ whenever he felt the need to and his _sudden volcanic outbursts_ weren't exactly special occasions... but a full scale temper tantrum was a precious occurrence. Toph absolutely loved them even though Sokka believed she was missing out on the most interesting feature of the whole scene, namely the mottled red hue the Prince would become whenever he began throwing a fit.

His golden eyes would narrow to slits and his fingers would trail fire menacingly as he rasped in a tangent about whatever he felt he was entitled to. When it wasn't honour the lack of honour, then it was about respect- but this time it was about his father.

"I should be the one to fight him!" he raged, scar rippling as his facial expressions grew tense and contorted.

He looked a growl away from actually stomping his feet.

"And we say _no_ ," Katara replied calmly.

Aang shifted uneasily beside her and attempted to reason with him for the nth time. "I know you want to battle the Firelord Zuko, but Katara is right."

Snort. "Peasant shrew."

"Even though you may be able to take him on, we need you elsewhere. Besides, I have got to fight Ozai myself. I'm the Avatar- it' my sacrifice to make. If you can take him on, which I don't doubt, it will be difficult to end on your own and I really really don't want to kill him," the Avatar continued as if he hadn't heard.

Zuko stared at him increduosly.

"You heard him," Katara added, smugly. "Aang and I are looking for a way to win this war by avoiding as much slaughter as we can. If we can somehow entrap the firebenders in some way- maybe stop their fire… make them lose it? Somehow-,"

"That's crazy! You are all officially soft in the head," Zuko grunted, eyes flashing in anger. "Let me kill him if you are too much of a coward."

"Killing isn't the answer to everything, Sifu Zuko," Aang illustrated humbly, looking elsewhere. "Slaughter will get us nowhere. Just like revenge. Anything fueled by anger will ravage us- we'd be no better than them." He sighed heavily. "We'll move on the with the plan and you'll have your part to play-"

"No I want Ozai; I want to fight my father," Zuko growled, fists curled in to his baggy pants. "You don't understand."

"Zuko," Aang tried.

"No, Avatar! Listen- you haven't lost something so intrinsic to you, so much a part of you... something you valued and now are lost without. It defined me- my nation, my people- and you don't know what it's like without it! They're my home nation... the people I should rightfully lead. The people I _will_ rightfully lead. Soon. And the only way I can win back my honour is by defeating _him_ , I just **have** to Avatar."

Katara chuckled dryly.

Zuko appraised her with a neat raised brow, still seething but content with having said his piece. He was sure they'd agree now. That was pretty emotional- or so he believed.

"That's ridiculous," Katara sang.

Absolute _shrew_. And a peasant.

"We've all lost people we love, people who defined us and made us and drove our very existences," she said with an edge to her otherwise neutral tone. "You talk about your people and that makes it quasi hysterical how easily you forget that Aang is the _last_ of the airbenders- he's the _only_ one of his kind, the only person who can bend the _air_. He has no nation. He has no people. He has no mentors to guide him and help him find himself and to help define his character. His childhood is _gone_ , his friends are gone, his idols are gone and majority of his cultural heritages have been burned to a crisp or pillaged. Anything that's left only serves to remind what a great loss he's suffered- what a great loss the whole world suffered."

"He has us now!" Sokka squeaked to add, sensing the emotions stirring within his sister. "And we've come so far together- we're _all_ family!"

They hadn't lost their tribe, but their familial unit was no longer functioning because of this damned war and he knew she stayed up at night thinking about their mother far more than he did.

"All I'm saying is," Katara acquiesced, nodding in acknowledgement. 'That you should be happy with what you have for once, Prince boy. Besides, you didn't even hear out your part in all this did you?"

Zuko growled at her, low in his chest.

"I figure that's a no," she smirked. "I definitely thought you'd be interested in a showdown with Azula, honestly. Aang totally thought you'd want to get her back. Spark that _totally_ healthy sibling rivalry."

"That's _not_ what I said!" Aang protested whole Zuko struggled to maintain a distasteful glare, saying; "You'll let _me_ handle Azula? You.. trust me with that?"

Katara laughed lightly. "They trust you with me," she said with a triumphant grin at his immediate growl in response.

"Didn't think you'd go out solo did you?" she chortled merrily at his expense. "Just because you want to be _ridiculous_ and face the strongest and most ruthless firebender on your own, doesn't mean you should. How will you rule all of your wonderful people from a grave, Zuko?"

She pursed her lips at his indignant scowl and nodded briefly to indicate that she knew she had won. "Think next time if it doesn't hurt you too much."

* * *

a/n: no one reads these lol


End file.
